EU and Britain discussing possibility of extending Brexit formal withdrawal notice as EU reiterates ‘No Further Negotiation’ on deal
5032 Mins Read
British and European officials are discussing the possibility of extending Britain’s formal notice to withdraw from the European Union amid fears a Brexit deal will not be approved by March 29, The Daily Telegraph reported, citing unidentified sources.
The Telegraph cited three unidentified EU sources as saying British officials had been “putting out feelers” and “testing the waters” on an extension of Article 50.
Asked about the Telegraph report, a spokeswoman for Prime Minister Theresa May’s Downing Street office said: “The PM has always said that we would be leaving the EU on 29 March 2019, and we would not extend Article 50.”
Meanwhile The Independent reports that on Monday, it emerged that despite Ms May’s push for more substantial concessions to win over Eurosceptic Tory backbenchers, Brussels will offer little more than a letter with additional non-binding assurances over British concerns.
The report adds that “In London she also needs to head off a cross-party attempt on Tuesday to bind the government’s hands over tax policy in the event that her government heads for a no-deal Brexit”.
On the first day back in the commons after Christmas, Brexit speculation over Ms May’s next steps intensified, with aides continuing a push to garner support for her proposals from Conservative rebels, some of who were invited to another meeting at No 10.
Part of her strategy will likely be a pledge that the UK will sign a new trade deal by 2021 at least, in a bid to persuade MPs that the UK would not be stuck in an indefinite customs union with the EU after Brexit.
To bolster this, the EU would also publish a letter containing a non-binding pledge to secure the trade deal by that time, the end of the transition period.
Sky reports “Theresa May is “continuing to work” on providing further assurances to MPs on her Brexit deal – with little over a week until a crunch House of Commons vote.
The prime minister is seeking “further undertakings” from the EU as she bids to win over MPs sceptical of her agreement with Brussels.
However, the EU reiterated its position on Monday that there would be “no negotiation” on the terms of Mrs May’s deal, despite the prime minister being due to speak to European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker this week.
